Portmore Lough

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Portmore Lough is a small lake in South-West County Antrim, Northern Ireland which drains water into the nearby Lough Neagh. It covers an area of 286 Hectares. The Lough and its shoreland is designated a Ramsar site, a Special Protection area (SPA) and an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).[1]

The lough is near the site of the former Portmore Castle, erected in 1664 and removed in 1671.[2] It is also the presumed location of the Portmore Ornament Tree whose destruction, as symbolic of the destruction of the remnant forests of Ireland, is lamented in the Celtic folk song, "Bonny Portmore." One source suggests that Portmore Castle was located on Lough Beg.

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